If You Ever Sail
by Solo Loco Ellingson-Rose
Summary: Shanks was Luffy's mentor, but who was Shanks? Shanks back story. Sort of ShanksxOC father son bonding.
1. Chapter 1

The Isle of Koroda.  
Otherwise known as the hottest place on earth.  
Being located in the west blue, it was abnormal for it to be so hot, but spring there, sometimes-even winter, was like summer in Arabasta.  
The main city of Rakc Koroda itself wasn't the most beautiful place ever. Due to the desert terrain it rested on, the majority of the buildings were made of stone, with the occasional tent in the poorer areas. And while there was an extremely well off, wealthy section, a large number of Rakc Koroda's populace could be found in the outskirts.  
Also referred to as the poor-as-dirt section.  
In this part of the city, most all of the buildings were completely run down, so not only were you lucky to have an alleyway to live in, you were incredibly lucky to have more than three hours of shade.  
But though years of this life had gotten the people used to it, everyday was like a fight to stay alive.  
This is where our story begins

"AH-!" A young red-haired boy gasped as a punch slammed him once again into the wall he was pressed against, a small fruit in his hand.  
"I'll show you what happens when you steal from ME worm!" The burly man holding the boy aloft growled as he brought his massive fist back to hit him again, but upon bringing it back for the strike, found that he couldn't.  
For another hand was holding his back.  
Still gripping the 10-year-old by the collar, he lowered him slightly, and turned to the boy's savior. Before him he saw a past middle-aged man with iron gray hair and extremely tan skin.  
"Stupid old man." He grunted swinging his now free fist at the man. Easily dodging, the old man looked up at the boy's tormentor with calm eyes, and, with a carefree smile and a heavily accented voice, bluntly put his thoughts out for all to hear. "Hit the kid one more time, and I'll deal it back to you ten times over."  
Scowling the large man threw the boy to the ground, and held him there with his foot. "Like you could do ANYTHING to me geezer!" He growled, readying another punch. "You got away from that last one, but lets see you dodge this!" He shouted, letting out a lightning volley of fast attacks, only to have them evaded or parried by the older man.  
"W-what? How!?" The aggressor gasped, breathing heavily, while the man he was attacking simply stood there as if nothing had happened. But it was when he lifted his left hand to scratch the side of his head that the man half standing on the boy stopped shaking from anger, and started shaking from fear. "T-that… tattoo… it's…" He breathed indicating to the set of lines and dots on the gray haired man's wrist. "Oh this?" said tattooed man asked looking at his hand grinning. "So I guess you know who I am then… Odd though. I wouldn't expect a land merchant, if that's what you are, to pay attention the tattoos of pirates. An, in essence, retired pirate no less."  
The supposed merchant took this opportunity to run for his life, completely forgetting the measly fruit the boy had stolen.  
Still grinning, the old, apparently piratical, man looked down at the boy who had stayed silent this whole time. "Looks like he really did know who I am." He joked, his smile widening still. "You okay?"  
The boy just sat there.  
Sympathy filled the man's eyes as he reached down to the redhead. "Come on, we'll go to my house."

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"Sorry, did I say house?" The old man joshed. "I meant to say alley."Looking back down at the boy he had effectively dragged to said alleyway, his face broke into another grin. "So… what's your name anyway?"  
Finally making eye contact the man, the dirt stained boy stared for a couple of seconds before uttering one word. "Shanks."  
"Shanks eh? Heh, I'm Captain Valgus! Or, former Captain at least…"  
"S-so, you really were a pirate?"  
"I sure was!" Valgus replied. "Say, it was food you stole back there, so you must be hungry right?"  
Shanks nodded slightly.  
"Well, why don't you eat your fruit, and I'll see if I can find something else for you to eat."  
"…C-captain?"  
"Hnn?"  
"Uh, I-I, uh…"  
"Sure you can stay here."  
Shocked and barely able to swallow the lump that shot up his throat, Shanks stared at Valgus who had just succeeded in catching a rat. "I can what?"  
"You can stay here." Valgus repeated turning around to face him. "I'm seriously doubting you have somewhere else to stay, seeing as the condition your clothes are in, let alone you. So you can stay here if you like."  
Shanks couldn't believe what he was hearing. _"Did this man just offer me a home?" _He thought, not even able to remember the last time someone had been this kind to him.  
"Though if you do end up staying with me," Valgus laughed, scratching the side of his head. "You're gonna want to get used to eating rats."  
Shanks felt what might have been a grin touch the corners of his mouth.  
He couldn't remember the last time that had happened either.


	2. Chapter 2

Scarcely a week had passed since Shanks had begun his stay in Valgus' alley, and he was already inseparably attached to the old man.  
"Okay kid!" Valgus said cheerily looking down at Shanks who was seated on a rock with his back to the wall. "It's time to teach you how to catch rats!"  
"O…kay." The redhead replied standing up. He hadn't been far from this man during the full twenty-four hours of every day for a week, but still couldn't get over how happy Valgus always was.  
"Now the key to catching rats is…" And Valgus began his lesson.

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About two hours later, Shanks had gotten the basic hang of rat catching, and had succeeded in capturing a lame, already half dead rat.  
"Ah, you'll get better!" Valgus chuckled, slapping Shanks on the shoulder.  
"Captain Valgus?" Shanks had finally gotten up the gumption to ask.  
"Yeah?"  
"Why are you always grinning? I mean, you're ALWAYS happy."  
"'Cause even though I'm not on the sea, I still live like a pirate. If you aren't afraid of death, and live like every moment's your last, you'll never have anything to worry about!" The gray haired man replied, gesturing random things with his hands.  
"Why did you stop being a pirate? And why did you come here when you left?" Shanks continued eagerly.  
"Heh, sorry, that's another story for another day."  
"Aww…"  
"Say!" Valgus exclaimed, the light bulb in his head shining brightly. "Kids like you need more than ex-pirates for company! You need some friends!"  
Silence.  
"You don't have any do you?" The old man continued more as a statement than a question, due to Shanks' odd, to Valgus at least, lack of speaking.  
Shanks shook his head.  
"Well then…" Valgus pondered, scratching the back of his head. "You can be friends with the gypsy girl then! She's about your age… I think…"  
Shanks took this time to speak up. "What? Huh? Gypsy girl? What do you mean?"  
"Murassilla. She's an orphan living with the random gypsy group down the way. I've helped her out a couple of times. She mostly tells fortunes, or tries to at least. Also, from what I've seen her do to some guys picking on another kid, she's got a wicked right hook." Valgus explained in an almost matter-of-fact way, as if talking about 10 or so year old female gypsies socking other kids in the face was something normal.  
Shanks' response was nothing but a blink. But on the inside… _Do I really want to meet this girl?_  
"Lets go get you two acquainted then, shall we?" The gray haired man said happily as he proceeded to drag Shanks out of the alley and in the direction of the gypsy camp in true Maes Hughes 'kidnapper' style.

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Sorry about the super long wait, AND the super short chapter! But, as soon as I finished the first chapter, I kind of, well, went brain dead, and couldn't think of anything to write... I'M SORRY!  
By the way, there's an almost 100 chance that it's spelled wrong, but 'Murassilla' means missionary in one language of another. No reason why though, I just like the way it sounds.  
And for those of y'all who don't read or watch Full Metal Alchemist, Maes Hughes is just one of the characters. He's got this thing for dragging people out of rooms, and looking like a kidnapper while doing so. Sorry, I've been on a FMA binge fest lately… '


End file.
